It’s not every day that you get to chat with a video game developer, but I was lucky to get the opportunity to interview Steffan Chadwick Harris; the creator of the upcoming RPG, SideQuest! The game is a passion project that started off as a movie script from X-Strike Studio‘s, Juese Cutler. When the movie didn’t go anywhere, Harris decided that the idea was too precious to stay on the writers floor, and decided to develop it into a throw-back RPG.

Using the power of crowd-funding via IndieGoGo, SideQuest is close to making it’s goal of $3,000 to complete the project. Below, I have my interview with Harris as we talk about how he got involved in the project, what video games HE likes, and why SideQuest might be the best RPG of our time! Check it out below!

1) How did you first get involved with the X-Strike Studios?

I first met them at MAGFest 3 & had seen one of their projects before hand and was impressed with the group. I managed to keep in touch with them & reconnected with the group after I graduated from Westwood in Denver and we have been tight ever since. I love the guys from X-Strike & consider them close friends.

2) What were some of your video game inspirations from the 80’s and 90’s that made you want to SideQuest in that direction?

The original Final Fantasy of course, Suikoden, Dragon Warrior’s 1 & 2 not so much 3. Phantasy Star, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 3 (U.S). When I tinkered with the script & added the extra quests I wanted to incorporate the feel of a lot of these games because they honestly mean the world to me.

Of all time is the original Final Fantasy the part where they cross the bridge & it goes into the the story screen & you hear prologue by Nobuo Uematsu to this day sends sivers through me it was the first time I felt I connected with a game. Currently I have been playing Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim & I did a few runs of Fallout: New Vegas but I also have given alot of time to an indie title called Doom & Destiny. It can be found on XBL & on steam as well.

4) What do you prefer to game on? Console or PC?

I prefer to play on console honestly. I have done a bit of pc but I always go back to console. I might give Knights of the Old Republic a go after I finish work on SideQuest.

5) What’s one character that you’d like to put in SideQuest from other RPG’s?

SideQuest does a great job of having all the archtypical characters from various games but if I had to take a specific person I would take Cid from Final Fantasy 2 (U.S) toss him in & make him Scottish in honor of my father in law.

6) What inspiration are you getting for the soundtrack?

That is the beutiful thing about this project in particular Dale North who had planned on doing the score for the movie is doing the soundtrack for the game, & I feel that he has the same love for JRPG’s & games of that ilk that I am completely confident that everything I hear is going to be musical gold. You can find his stuff on OCRemix. The one thing I am definitly insistent on is the victory fanfare. There has to be a really fun airy fanfare like from Chrono Trigger.

7) After SideQuest, what’s next? What is another video game genre you’d like to tackle?

After SideQuest I am thinking of doing one more JRPG that I wrote back in college but would like to do a side scroller like R-Type eventually something fun but challenging.

If I can I would like to publicly thank the artist Michelle Nuckols for all the work she has done for the project so far, & Dale North as well. Without these two helping I would feel a bit weary taking on a project of this size but I am lucky to have a great team & great fans that are interested in the project.

Here’s a gallery of images from the project!

I can’t wait to see how the final project comes out, but it’s only going to happen with the help of fans like YOU. Make sure you visit the SideQuest Official Website HERE, and also donate at the IndieGOGO site HERE. It’s people like Harris that keep the independent video games alive and bring a unique vision to the genre. I appreciate his interview and can’t wait to talk to him again when the finished product comes out!